A Message from Dean Neal Van Alfen: Prioritizing Budget ReductionsOur college is facing a major budget challenge since the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension have been targeted for significant cuts in the governor’s proposed budget. Given the very large deficit that the state is facing next year we have to assume in our planning that these proposals could become reality. Our plan to meet the current 10% AES budget reduction is based on a principle that cuts will be made by attrition through collapse of faculty and staff positions vacated by retirements, etc. Although this will become increasingly difficult as the cuts deepen, we will do everything we can to protect those who currently hold positions. The challenge we face in downsizing through attrition is that positions are lost randomly based upon age or personal circumstances rather than through a prioritization process. Prioritization will occur through reinvestments that will begin even as we downsize because of the cuts. A series of faculty committees will be organized through this coming year to assist in this prioritization process. The first committees to be appointed have been charged to plan for our future in the plant and pest sciences. Copies of the letters that provide the charges and memberships of these two committees are available for viewing at http://caes.ucdavis.edu/college/budget/. Additional committees will be formed in the future and charged with helping to reshape and reprioritize the programs of our college. Although the circumstances that are driving this process are dire, let’s work to be sure that we are laying the foundation for maintaining the excellence of our college for decades to come. As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail me.

Clyde Elmore: Hall of FamerClyde Elmore, extension specialist for the Weed Science program in the Department of Vegetable Crops at UC Davis, has been inducted into the California Floriculture Hall of Fame. Elmore has worked extensively on finding a viable alternative to methyl bromide as a biocide in ornamental crops.

Bruce Hammock: Scorpion’s Stings Make HeadlinesWhile researching a scorpion anti-venom, professor of entomology Bruce Hammock recently discovered that South African scorpions produce two kinds of venom -- an extremely painful first sting designed to drive a threat away and a much deadlier subsequent sting if the threat continues. Published this week, his article, “One Scorpion, Two Venoms: Prevenom of Parabuthus transvaalicus acts as an alternative type of venom with distinct mechanism of action,” generated a large amount of news coverage.

Joy Mench: Humane Society HonoreeThe Humane Society of the United States recently honored professor of animal science Joy Mench with an award for her course, Animal Science 103, which examines animal welfare from the animals’ point of view. The 2002 Animals and Society Award is intended to encourage high quality college curricula and instruction in animal welfare. In addition to a certificate of excellence, Mench will receive $1,000 for use in course development.

Calvin Qualset Receives Genetic Resources Conservation AwardCalvin Qualset, founding director of DANR’s Genetic Resources Conservation Program and professor emeritus in the Department of Agronomy and Range Science, received the 2002 William L. Brown Award for Excellence in Genetic Resources Conservation. The Missouri Botanical Garden, in collaboration with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington University, and the World Agricultural Forum, sponsored a November symposium in St. Louis to honor Qualset’s accomplishments.

Carl Winter Appointed to UN Food OrganizationCarl Winter, director of the FoodSafe Program and Extension food toxicologist affiliated with the Department of Food Science and Technology, has been appointed to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for a four-year term starting this month. JECFA serves as a scientific advisory body to FAO, WHO, to FAO/WHO member governments, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

UC Davis, the National Academy of Sciences, and the USDASeveral UC Davis-based scientists were part of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee that recommended the U.S. Department of Agriculture refocus its $2 billion annual research budget to reflect changing public values and needs. Davis scientists contributing to the report include Janet C. "Jenny" Broome, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) associate director; Julian Alston, agricultural and resource economics professor; and Christine Bruhn, UC Cooperative Extension consumer food marketing specialist. The subcommittees provided key input to the synthesis committee that wrote the report. Synthesis committee members included Vice Provost William Lacy; former SAREP Interim Director Robert Reginato; and professor of animal science Ransom Baldwin, Jr. Committee members noted in their report, “Frontiers in Agricultural Research: Food, Health, Environment, and Communities,” that there is a need for high-level leadership to support new directions in food and agricultural research.

To read a summary of the report or access a complete copy of the prepublication document, visit theNAS Web site

The Perils of “Experimental” LoggingA recent New York Times article outlined the U.S. Forest Service proposal for experimental logging of 500,000 acres in the Plumas and Lassen National Forests to see how it will affect the habitat of the California spotted owl and the severity of forest fires. The Bush administration's experiment will greatly increase the amount of timber being taken from the two forests. "I think this is quickly going to spiral into a device for getting around other restrictions on forest practices, under the guise of scientific analysis," said Don Erman, emeritus professor of the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology.

Breastfeeding Helps Counter Obesity in Later LifeAccording to a new study by Professor of Nutrition Kathryn Dewey, breastfeeding helps babies learn to control appetite and has other effects that counter obesity in later life. The role of breastfeeding in obesity control is still small compared to predictive factors such as having fat parents or eating an unhealthy diet and not exercising, but it is still an important part of the picture. Dewey believes that breast-fed babies are better able to stop eating when full, and bottle-fed babies are often overfed, which can increase the amount of fat cells. Her study, presented at a recent state conference on childhood obesity, will be published in next month’s issue of Journal of Human Lactation.

Sudden Oak Death Researchers Find Cause for HopeAt a December symposium on Sudden Oak Death, associate professor of plant pathology David Rizzo spoke of the possibility that the disease is not necessarily lethal and that some plants are not vulnerable. Researchers are hopeful but cautious that some types of resistance to Sudden Oak Death might be found.

The $40,000 John Fox Steindler Graduate FellowshipCA&ES is pleased to announce the 2003–04 John F. Steindler Fellowship, which supports entering Ph.D. students studying in the general areas of agricultural production, food and nutrition, molecular biology in plants, agricultural commodity marketing, and rural/urban social studies. The fellowship is intended to support students and encourage them to pursue careers in teaching and research. Fellows receive a stipend of $40,000, to be paid over 24 months, plus in-state fees and nonresident tuition where necessary. Recipients will be selected from among students nominated and ranked by their graduate program or group, which then forwards the names of those nominated to Graduate Studies. A “Supplemental Application for Fellowships” should be included for each student. Nominations must be received in Graduate Studies by February 13, 2003.

Graduate Fellowships: Gordon Research Conference on AgricultureThere are fellowships available for graduate students to attend the Gordon Research Conference on Agriculture. The conference, being held February 16–21, in Ventura, will emphasize genomics, proteomics and biotechnology.

New Tree Guide on the WayThe Center for Urban Forest Research will soon unveil its fifth and newest tree guide, “Northern Mountains and Prairies Community Tree Guide,” designed for the cold and snowy climate region covering the northwestern and north central U.S., including portions of California and Nevada. Other guides in the series cover the Inland Empire, South Coast, and San Joaquin Valley. To see the guides online, visit the site below and select “Tree Guides” under product type.

Water Education Foundation Collaboration PublicationThe Water Forum Agreement signed in April 2000 by 40 Sacramento region water purveyors, public officials, community group leaders, environmentalists, and business representatives capped six years of analysis, discussions and negotiations. The new publication explains the contents of the agreement, discusses the stages of interest-based negotiations, and offers insight on lessons learned by Water Forum participants.

Dennis T. Avery Saves the Planet with Pesticides and PlasticCA&ES is sponsoring two events with Dennis T. Avery, director of the Center for Global Food Issues at the Hudson Institute. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, 3 p.m., in 2005 PES, Dennis will present a student round-table discussion, titled “What’s Wrong with Global Warming?” On Thursday, Feb. 6, 4 p.m., at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, he is hosting an open seminar, “Saving the World’s Forests and Wildlife with High-yield Farming and Forestry.”

Nutrition Graduate Seminar SeriesCandidates for the John E. Kinsella Endowed Chair will be holding the following upcoming seminars: On Feb. 3, Susan Ebeler, associate professor of viticulture and enology, will present “Wine Flavor and Health Effects: How are they related?” and on Feb. 10, Andrew Waterhouse, professor and interim chair of viticulture and enology, will present “Wine Phytochemicals: Measurements and Effects.” Both seminars take place in Surge III, Room 1309, at 4:10 p.m.

Water Education Foundation’s 20th Annual Executive BriefingMarch 12–13, Sacramento. Join top policymakers and agricultural, environmental and urban stakeholders as they address important water issues, including the Colorado River, desalination, and the Bay-Delta.

CA&ES Currents, the faculty/staff newsletter of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, is distributed every other Friday. News deadline is noon Monday preceding Friday publication. Send inquiries to Ann Filmer, [email protected]

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